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The FDA misled consumers for years about the protection conferred by sunscreen products. Their flawed SPF rating system disregarded the risk of skin damage from UV-A light, the type of UV light most likely to penetrate deep into the skin and cause damage. Old product labels usually disclosed only UV-B protection, mentioning nothing about UV-A and UV-C light. While new product labels on many sun protection products have recently started to disclose the type of UV light against which protection is effective, fundamental weaknesses with sunscreens remain. Consumers often do not apply enough sunscreen or fail to apply it to areas that will receive significant sun exposure. For instance, a white T-shirt may let through a large amount of UV light yet many people will only apply their sunscreen to exposed bare skin. Even when properly applied, perspiration and water exposure can cause the protection to be uneven and incomplete.

In recent years, a few companies have introduced products that allow consumers to gain the benefit of significant sun protection from oral supplements that cause protection to be distributed throughout the skin. One such product is Life Extension’s Enhanced FernBlock with Sendara.Read more…

Sunburn protection is traditionally associated with staying indoors especially during intense daylight hours from 10am to 3pm, wearing sun screen, and covering the body with clothing such as hats to block the sun from hitting the skin. Ultraviolet light from the sun is the form of solar radiation that causes most of this damage, ranging from evident sunburns to hidden but accumulating genetic damage that can cause skin cancer. The common sun protection methods mentioned above can be very effective at preventing sunburns and reducing damage to the skin.

In recent years, consumers have come to depend upon the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) ratings printed on sunscreen products sold in the United States. People think that SPF 30 provides more protection from sun damage than SPF 15 and may make purchases accordingly. Unfortunately, this perception can be totally inaccurate due to the egregiously flawed design of the US Food and Drug Administration’s SPF rating system.Read more…